Review: RumChata Horchata Con Ron Cream Liqueur

As cream liqueurs go — this world is wholly dominated by whiskey, coffee, and simple milk flavors — RumChata is nothing if not unique. Instead of whiskey, RumChata uses (obviously) rum as the base booze. Then, it’s not straight up cream but horchata that supplies the milky whiteness. Horchata, if you don’t frequent your local taqueria, is a very sweet, rice-based beverage flavored with cinnamon and other ingredients (recipes vary widely).

These are less natural compatriots than you’d think: Rum is from the Caribbean. Horchata is from Mexico. (RumChata is from Wisconsin, while we’re at it.)

And yet, all are friendly in this creamy conglomeration. The light beige color is reminiscent of almond milk or eggnog, but one whiff and the sense fill with cinnamon and vanilla character. On the tongue, the body is thinner than you’d expect and less mouth-coating than I’d wanted. The cinnamon overload continues, with vanilla and gingerbread notes coming up the rear. But most of all, RumChata is sweet. Very sweet, and perhaps one of the most sugary cream liqueurs I’ve ever tried. That effectively masks the alcohol — a mere 27.5 proof — completely, making RumChata a little dangerous in the easy-drinking department.

For me, RumChata’s sweetness is a little off-putting, but I don’t like horchata either, really. I’m a tamarindo man. That said, RumChata does exactly what it sets out to do: It’s an authentic, alcoholic version of horchata, with a touch of rum, as promised. Bueno trabajo.